what a relief!!!

[gallstone]

I can not tell you how relieved I was to find this web site!!!!  I received the pop up invoice from platte and called them up with their reference to the slow response with their computer, then a pause, and then asked for my post code, the american accent sort of had me suspicious!!!  I declined to provide that information asking what the invoice was for, to my horror it was the porn site... etc etc.  I do not access theses sites nor my 70year old mother!!!  I told them I would not be paying the 29.99 now or in the future and if they wanna go to court then bring it on.  She said i had watched the "movie" 3 times, not sorry!! pop up invoice keeps appearing but i just close it down any ideas on how to get it off my desktop aswell??? they wanted to send me something to clear it .... yeah right then all the letters and court threats that ive read about, think my mother would get quite a shock receiving post like that   am i doin right thing by just ignoring these pop ups and can they get address through phone call???  Very grateful to any help out there and releieved am not alone!!!! thought i was going mad trying to work out where this invoice came from very nearly paid it without a thought so glad i didnt.

[ForumFriend]

I'm going to post something that I've seen recently on another website that deals extensively with Platte Media complaints here.

It is a response from somebody else who was 'hit' by the Platte problem, and she says:

"....  I have lodged a complaint with TS and OFT and have a written response from them. There are no offices in the UK for this company, just a PO Box. Where are their ‘customer support’ based then? I have been advised by TS not to pay these people as I have not entered into a contract as I have not supplied any personal details ie name, address etc. ... Please report Platte to TS if enough people complain then surely something will be done."

Reporting your problem to Trading Standards and the Office of Fair Trading, while it may seem to be a waste of time initially, is important since it contributes to the building up of a case against this questionable business model.  You will see what she says she has been told by Trading Standards.  Indeed, it is difficult to see how anybody can enter into a contract with a company when they have provided no information about themselves.  Platte would argue that it is your computer (!) that has entered into the contract (this being their way of getting around somebody else using your computer to access their websites) and that you, as the computer owner, are therefore liable.  What tosh!

Please feel free to email, using the email envelope to the left of this post, if you want to discuss this further off forum.

[DenverGiles]

As far as I have read, a contract can only be entered by parties legally able to do so.  I do not know if computers have been given the right to enter contracts yet but I doubt it very much.

For a somewhat relevant piece of information, see http://www.out-law.com/page-396 especially the essential terms part 1.  Platte do not have the names or addresses when the supposed contract is supposedly entered, therefore, assuming the validity of the above information, then this does not constitute a valid contract.

[harri]

Can i ask posted b4 saying not contacted them at all and managed to get rid of pop us and not returned in over two weeks. Will platte just continue billing and try to send bills to my pc again? Thanks for help

[ForumFriend]

Harri:  I'd guess you'll be okay as you haven't contacted them at all.  Let us know if you do hear anything more.  How can they take it further if they don't know where you are?  And if your computer is completely free of their software, you should have no more pop ups.  But feel free to contact us if anything does occur. 

[Artist08]

I'm so glad i've found this site I need advice, three weeks ago I went into the site and downloaded the software but decided I didn't want it and deleted everything off my computer straight away. After three, four days nothing and then these invoices started to appear, asking for £49.99 for a service I haven't even used. This has made me mad, why should I pay fifty quid for a service I havent used. I cleared out my whole computer of everything to do with platte media, and they still find a way into the system surely this is an invasion of privacy, and invasion of personal property? So I'm stuck, am I just going to have to pay up for them to disapear? Your the first people I have spoken to and would be keen to hear what you would advise.